Despite the first large-scale endeavours carried out in the early 20th century, the much-touted equality between man and woman still doesn’t stand on solid ground even some 100 years later. As soon as economic uncertainties arise, people tend to revert to the old well-proven roles and associated power relations. One asks oneself: is equality and equal status of women with regard to pay and rights a social luxury item? Is it an increasingly controversial topic in the current economic crisis in particular? “Housewife or homemaker” as a bread-and-butter job is suddenly being seen again – by both genders – as a viable legitimate life model.

But the danger here is: to make invisible = to strip somebody of all their rights. What you don’t see, is simply not there.

What does it mean when you tick “female” in the section about gender information in your passport?

Provided that you have a right to a passport in the first place! There are regions in this world where women do not even have the right to their own name, and guardians decide their actions throughout their lives.
There are regions where forced marriages are still legitimate – bonds which can be likened to slavery, and... socially tolerated violent actions against women and wives, such as acid attacks, burnings and stonings. In such cases, being a woman means being a victim... with life-long suffering and fear.

And here, invisibility often comes into play again as an ally...
The first stage in the total abnegation of rights could be a woman disappearing behind a veil.